I'm sorry.
I never knew.
I'm a fairly compassionate guy. I'm empathetic by design.
I'm "intuitive" off the charts.
But honestly, when people with migraines told me they had a migraine headache, I mean...yea...I felt bad for them. But my primal reaction was, "Ah, suck it up. We've all get bad headaches. Take an Advil and get on with it."
Until today.
Today I had my first migraine.
Oh my Lord.
So, I'm honestly still a bit "fragile." I'm terrified of anything that might set this thing off (and I just looked up Migraines and I had a short one -- about 5 hours). But a few quick words:
1. To people, particularly my staff and friends, who put up with this on a regular basis, I'm so sorry. It really sucks. I hope I never find out what it is like to have this problem often. I hope and pray this is not a sign of things to come.
2. My apologies to my staff, who got the brunt of this as I was about to enter into a staff meeting (a rather important one at that) and then just lost it. Special thanks to Sue who drove me home and Jim who drove my car home. You all are the best.
3. I'm buying Betsy S. dinner to celebrate her thesis. I don't know what she is writing on exactly, but I think it has something to do with migraines. And maybe she is working to get rid of them. I LOVE you. May children everywhere rise up and call you blessed.
4. I'm sorry to Ian, who honestly, I love like a son... or at least a MUCH younger brother. He called me to ask where I was just before the staff meeting. I answered the phone and honestly was in so much pain that... well... um... I just thought really bad things about the idea of talking with you.
Let's see: I felt like someone took a sledge hammer to my head, I wanted to throw up, I was breaking in a sweat, I was stuck in traffic, behind a truck pumping out exhaust fumes, with 10,000 students crossing the road going between a long line of cars (waiting patiently for them to do so), with the sun blaring in my eyes, with construction equipment all around me rumbling and pounding -- and oh yea, my phone rings. There was almost anything else I would rather have been doing in that moment than being in that place talking on the phone.
In short, I'm sorry if you picked up on the fact that I wanted to kill you.
I really don't. I really do love you, brother.
5. To the makers of Advil. I am forever indebted to you. I will give you my first born, as right now she is yelling at the top of her lungs, "DADDY, WHERE ARE YOU?" Please come and take her now. And turn off the lights when you come in.
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10 comments:
I feel for you. I've had these too, although my doctor calls them tension headaches because their cause seems to be stress and eye strain. Essentially, it feels a lot the same, although I've never had it last more than a couple hours.
Sorry you had to go through this. Migraines are horrible enough, but to get them in the middle of the work day is the absolute worst. Just take it easy and get plenty of sleep tonight. You'll start feeling more 'normal' tomorrow.
People say/do very odd things when in pain. I thought you handled yourself quite well. Okay...except for that whole "I-took-two-white-pills-I-had-in-my-backpack-but-I-don't-know-what-they-were" bit. That concerned me some. :)
"Please come and take her now. And turn off the lights when you come in." Hahahaaa
oh my.
i'll try not to make loud noises from across the field here. wouldn't want to set this off again...
Aw, yea migraines are awful, I'm sorry you went through one. And to all those people who think that headaches and other chronic painful diseases aren't "real pain"... try having one sometime. And yes, I am studying migraines...and how to treat them! Woohoo! I'll let you know about treatment, if I pass my defense tomorrow. Otherwise, I don't know if you would really want to trust my judgement :)
Re: Jared
The pathophysiology is different between tension-type headaches and migraines, but sometimes the differential diagnosis can be tough!
I usually get blinding pain, dizzy spells and can't do anything but sleep to get ride of mine. I'm sorry that you had to deal with one today, but am glad that pills worked for you.
I got them regularly when I was young. When I would start getting the pre-symptoms, I would run home from school or get a ride home so I could try to get to sleep. Sometimes they would last a few days and the pressure would still be there for a week. I remember how I would bang my head on the wall to try to move the pain somewhere else in my head. I had great fear in thinking one might be coming on.
They stopped around age 20. I would still get the pre-symptoms, but 800mg of Advil and a nap would take care of it.
About 6 months ago, Jen and I were eating at a restaurant. The lights started strobing. I asked Jen what was up with the lights. She said, what are you talking about? Then, I got very dissy, almost fell over, and I went blind on the left side of my vision. If I held both hands straight out, I couldn't see the left one.
We went to the hospital where they took a cat scan of my brain and gave me a "cocktail" of different medications.
I was a little anxious about the fact that I was losing my sight, but it came back, and in the morning I was OK.
Thanks you, Jesus.
Wow Mike, I didn't know any that about you (childhood or recent attack). So I'm guessing they thought the recent was a migraine? Man, I can't believe the strength of the pain... but yours sounded even worse. Must be from all that drumming. :)
You're welcome friend!
Just glad to be able to help you out.
Also glad you're feeling better!!
Paul, I knew it was a migraine, soon after the strobing thing. I think hospitals are pretty well versed in them, since they get a lot of first-timers coming in. As you know, depending its degree, a migraine can really freak you out the first time you get one.
As far as the pain. It probably doesn't rank up there with a broken femur. And I'm certain Jesus went through a lot worse.
You're very right in all ways here - noone knows what a migraine is until you have one... They suck. Big time. Advil is good, but just in case anyone is interested, I've found that there are these strips that you can stick to your forehead that are AWESOME!!! They produce a cooling sensation and give you good relief (and since they aren't technically medicine, I don't think anyway, you can take advil too!). Hope you never have another!!!
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